HPA Tech Retreat: Execs Look at Innovating the Big Screen

The annual HPA Tech Retreat, presented by the Hollywood Post Alliance, kicked off in Indian Wells on Tuesday. The February 9-13 event will feature more than 45 sessions, 75 roundtables, 100 speakers and 30 new product demos. “The Big Screen” was the week’s first panel. It focused on projection tech, and the promise of HDR, with a look at the potential of Dolby Vision. Panelists included NATO’s John Fithian, Todd Hoddick of Barco, David Keighley of IMAX, and Curt Behlmer of Dolby…

HPA 2015: Live vs. Post

INDIAN WELLS, CALIF.—“Live means not being able to say, ‘I’m sorry.’” This was Mark Schubin’s summation of a presentation at the Hollywood Post Alliance Tech Retreat this week that highlighted the popularity of live media and the challenges of producing it versus material that goes into post.“Nearly everything has post… every movie, every TV show, every commercial, every download…” is post produced, he said. “Except for everything else.”Everything else, he said, is live…

Indian Wells, CA (January 28, 2015) – The Hollywood Post Alliance® (HPA) has announced the final schedule for the 2015 HPA Tech Retreat®, February 9th to 13th, 2015 in Indian Wells, CA. The Tech Retreat is a relaxed yet focused gathering where engineering, technology and strategic business leaders join top creative talent to explore and debate the most compelling topics facing the media and entertainment industry today. The event offers four solidly scheduled days of sessions, demonstrations and events, and delivers a forward looking perspective on an industry continuing its dynamic and rapid transformation of how content is created, finished, distributed and arrived.

For 20 years, the Tech Retreat has proven to be a bellwether event where groundbreaking ideas are born and industry-changing technologies unveiled. From drones and UHD, the cloud and cyber security, to maintaining creative intent while exploring the next iteration of broadcast standards – if it’s being thought about, it will be discussed, debated, and perhaps even refuted at the Tech Retreat. More than 45 sessions, 75 early morning thought provoking breakfast roundtables and over 100 speakers make up the conference program. In addition, 30 new technologies are slated to debut in the event’s curated Demo Room, and the schedule is crafted to offer time for exploration and interaction.

Leon Silverman, President of the HPA, noted, “As we enter our 21st year, the Tech Retreat continues to be one of those events you can’t afford to miss. The mix of topics, technology and top industry minds makes this event a yearly check-in with industry gurus and deep thinkers that seem to gather at the HPA every year in the desert. Making the pilgrimage to the HPA Tech Retreat seems to provide so many of us with a check on the pulse of the entire industry.”

Speakers and Sessions

For the complete 2015 HPA Tech Retreat schedule and speakers’ bios, click HERE. There are over 45 sessions presented during the course of the Retreat (Please note the final schedule is subject to change.)

Highlights of the 2015 HPA Tech Retreat include:

The HPA Supersession – A full day of sessions focused on a shifting industry. Just when we thought we had mastered the transition to the “digital age,” we’re seeing new and fundamental shifts.

Keynote – Not Your Father’s Post

Cyber and Content Security: Time for a Strategy Change

Sensory Stimulation

Next Generation of Cinema: New Technologies and Techniques: What they Mean for Filmmakers

Understanding the New Acquisition

From Snowflakes to Standards: Maintaining Creative Intent in Evolutionary Times

Drones for Dummies

The Annual Broadcasters Update

Personalized and Immersive Sound

DDP and IMF

The Cloud Demystified

Utilizing Fingerprinting Technology for Shot Matching

Enhancing the Creative Palette

Automatic Content Recognition

Among nearly 100 All Star speakers, the Lineup Includes:

Wendy Aylsworth, Warner Bros.

Bill Bennett, ASC

Stephen Beres, HBO

Sara-Duran Singer, Netflix

John Fithian, National Association of Theater Owners

Barbara Lange, SMPTE

Carolina Lavatelli, Internet of Trust

Pete Ludé, Real D

Theresa Miller, Lionsgate

Loren Nielsen, Entertainment Technology Consultants

Daryn Okada, ASC

Vikram Phatak, NSS Labs

Bob Seidel, CBS

Skip Pizzi, NAB

Andy Shenkler, Sony DADC New Media Solutions

Leon Silverman, HPA

Masayuki Sugawara, NHK

Larry Thorpe, Canon

Mario Vecchi, PBS

Erik Weaver, Entertainment Technology Center at USC

Silverman commented, “It’s our 21st year, and the lineup is more inspiring and informative than ever. We don’t go to the Tech Retreat with the answers, we go with the questions, and that’s by design. And you always leave feeling as though you’ve been engaged and informed, even though you may leave with different questions! It’s not a sales event, it not a typical conference, it’s not a trade show, and it’s not a scholarly event. But, it’s personal and thought provoking, and all of the most interesting people are there; especially the ones you have never met. There’s simply nothing else like it.”

Throughout the Tech Retreat, new technologies are explored and demonstrated in sessions and in the Demo Room. This year, dozens of new technologies will appear, in keeping with the event’s history of unveiling important technological advancements – advanced cameras, holographic imagery, 3D, to name a few. Another first this year, Christie’s new laser projection solution will be utilized during the Tech Retreat Sessions.

Registration for the HPA Tech Retreat is strongly recommended. The Tech Retreat is a limited attendance event and seating is approaching capacity and expected to sell out. It is still possible to register, but pre-conference registration closes Monday, February 2, 2014, after which time only onsite registrations will be accepted, and those registrations are space-permitting. Full-conference as well as one-day registrations are available. Registration includes conference sessions, breakfast roundtables, lunch, demo room, and social events.

About the HPA Tech Retreat ®The HPA Tech Retreat® is an informal gathering, in the Palm Springs area, of the top industry engineering, technical, and creative talent, as well as strategic business leaders focused on technology, from all aspects of digital cinema, post production, film, television, video, broadcast and related technology areas, for the exchange of information. The 2015 HPA Tech Retreat will take place February 9 to 13, in Indian Wells, California.

About the Hollywood Post Alliance®Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content. Through their partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®), the leader in the advancement of the art, science and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem, the HPA continues to extend its support of the community it represents. Information about the HPA is available at ww.hpaonline.com.

December 17, 2014 (Los Angeles, CA) The Hollywood Post Alliance® (HPA) has unveiled the schedule for the 2015 HPA Tech Retreat®. A who’s who of engineering, technology, creativity and strategic business will gather in the desert to discuss the trends and technologies of the future, while tackling head-on the pressing issues of the present. Over the past 21 years, the HPA Tech Retreat has unveiled many industry-shaping technologies and processes to a vanguard audience of those involved in the creation, management, delivery and curation of all forms of content. The event takes place at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, CA, from February 9th to the 13th, 2015.

The Tech Retreat is designed to offer attendees the opportunity to access a wide range of in-depth information, enabling an informed view of future industry trajectories. Aimed at the many stakeholders involved in all aspects of production, broadcast, post production, distribution and the related endeavors for media and entertainment, the program schedule facilitates an environment conducive to the exchange of knowledge and information. In lively conference sessions, the programmed topics will take the Tech Retreat audience from the finest details to the edge of the horizon and beyond. Over the course of the week, more than 25 sessions will speak to participants across the content eco system.

Mark Schubin, the long-time maestro of the HPA Tech Retreat programming, noted, “The Tech Retreat program is built from topics that are of great interest to the technical and creative communities, and they largely derive from submissions. This year, we had more submissions than ever before, and the breadth and scope of what we received was truly impressive.”

Preregistration opens on Monday, February 9th. Physics, Optics, and Electronics of Image Sensors is a pre retreat course offered by Charles Poynton.

Tuesday, February 10th

The day-long HPA Supersession kicks off the Tech Retreat with Shift Happens: Not Your Father’s Post, led by Leon Silverman with Michael Cioni. Even as some stability returns, fundamental changes continue in the creation, finishing and distribution of content. The Supersession takes a thoughtful look at these changes and ultimately offers insight about how to be prepared for them.

After the Supersession, the Demo Room opens its doors with a cocktail reception.

Wednesday, February 11th

The highly anticipated annual Broadcasters Panel returns on Wednesday as well as sessions including a CES Review; A Year in Review from Mark Schubin, From Smartphones to Cinema; Extended Color Gamuts; Contemplating the Expanding Canvas with Bill Bennett, ASC alongside other leading cinematographers; and the Future of Cinema, and many others.

Thursday, February 12th

Sessions focused on topics as diverse as Maintaining Creative Intent; The Cloud Demystified; Role of non-Linear Coding of the Television Image from NHK Science and Technology Research Laboratories; IP or not IP; and Drones for Dummies are among the many offerings in a day filled with panels and presentations.

Friday, February 13th

As the week draws to a close, compelling presentations continue with Lightfield Capture and Post Update with Siegfried Foessel; Enhancing the Creative Palette While Preserving Intent from Camera to Consumer; the SMPTE Update; and more. The day closes up with a post-HPA Tech Retreat session, How The Great Depression Led to Cloud Computing.

Leon Silverman, President of the HPA, noted, “The Tech Retreat is not just a conference where the latest, greatest, most important, and interesting technology and topics are displayed, presented, discussed, debated and sometimes even refuted – it is the closest thing to adult geek summer camp (held in the Palm Springs winter) that one can imagine. Come for the topics, stay for the people who can change your life. For the past 21 years, the Tech Retreat has truly been a place to meet the movers and the shakers right before they make their moves.”

In addition to sessions and demos, the Tech Retreat features sunrise past sundown activities that include Breakfast Roundtables with compelling topics as well as numerous opportunities for networking, discussion, and socializing at sponsored meals and receptions. The event has a history of selling out, and timely registration for the 2015 HPA Tech Retreat is highly recommended. For more information on the event and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.hpaonline.com, call 213.614.0860 or email Eileen Kramer at ekramer@hpaonline.com.

The HPA Tech Retreat® is an informal gathering, in the Palm Springs area, of the top industry engineering, technical, and creative talent, as well as strategic business leaders focused on technology, from all aspects of digital cinema, post production, film, television, video, broadcast and related technology areas, for the exchange of information. The 2015 HPA Tech Retreat will take place February 9 to 13, in Indian Wells, California.

About the Hollywood Post Alliance®Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content. Through their partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®), the leader in the advancement of the art, science and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem, the HPA continues to extend its support of the community it represents. Information about the HPA is available at ww.hpaonline.com.

Wall (pictured), an editor at Biscardi Creative Media in Atlanta, recently finished editing season three of the PBS series This American Land. She relocated from Indianapolis last year, where she worked primarily in industrial corporate video by day with some independent narrative film work at night. “Right now, I primarily spend my days in Adobe Premiere Pro CC with dashes of After Effects and a willingness to jump into whatever is necessary. I’m fairly NLE-neutral.”

HPA Day #2: The Washington Update…

Jim Burger of Thomson Coburn LLP traditionally provides the Washington Update at the HPA Tech Retreat. This year’s topic du jour was intellectual property, and how Congress and the legal system are grappling with related laws.

Last month, a House hearing entitled “The Scope of Copyright Protection” highlighted a battle over broadcaster copyright protection, as well as copyright for “codes, laws and standards,” which Burger described as “facts.”

Colorfront Showcases Landmark Cloud Innovations

Colorfront, the Academy and Emmy Award-winning developer of high-performance, on-set dailies and transcoding systems for motion pictures, high-end episodic television and commercials, is showcasing the latest advances of its ground-breaking Colorfront Cloud Services at HPA’s Tech Retreat, Palm Springs, and at NAB 2014, Las Vegas.

Announced in October last year, Colorfront Cloud Services enable powerful and streamlined distributed post-production, and have been developed by Colorfront in collaboration with leading Hollywood studios and post-production facilities. Colorfront is now also working with leading broadcasters and content producers in the UK, Europe, Japan, Brazil and the US, as they adopt large-sensor cameras for Ultra HD production.Read more

132014Mar

Colorfront Cloud Services Adds EDL Conform, VFX Pull to 4K Post

Flexible Cloud Service Expands Distributed Colorfront Technology Already Used on Six Oscar-Nominated Films

On-set dailies and transcoding developer Colorfront has announced it will add EDL conform and automatic visual effects pull features to the dailies transcoding and format rendering already available through its Colorfront Cloud Service, a flexible public and private cloud service that streamlines intensive post workflows for facilities separated geographically. Colorfront CTO Bill Feightner (above) will also speak with other panelists on the topic of distributed post tomorrow, February 20, at the HPA Tech Retreat in Indian Wells, CA, near Palm Springs.